Runaway Thoughts
by BubbleTeaMornings
Summary: Jackson Overland: The most wanted thief throughout Burgess, spending most of his time searching for some place to call home. Toothiana Fairie: A aspiring news writer who just needs the right story to make a breakthrough in life. What if they both get what they want, but not what they bargained for? Rainbow Snowcone. Cover Art by Sophiefarts on Tumblr.
1. Chapter 1

"Stop where you are! Thief! Thief!"

Jack swerved around the street corner, a tight grip on his sack while hugging it to the inside of his jacket. Police sirens blared in his ears, the car's headlights pursuing a distance away. The roads were filled with street cars honking their horns at him in attempt to distract him from his goal, but they would have to so much more to stop him. If anything, it only made him persist more. He knew he would never lose the popo if he just kept running in the streets, so he turned the sharp corner and he darted into the city's alleyways.

The downpour of rain made it more difficult to see where he was going, with the water getting in his eyes and his hair now plastered to his face. The wind blew from all directions, chilling him to the bone. In attempt to hide himself, he tugged the jacket's hood over his already soaked head. He used his free hand to shield his face, trying to avoid the flashlight's glare and making sure not to be seen.

Man, he had really fucked up this time.

The panic that clouded Jack's head was the only thing that fueled his legs from stopping. He kept his eyes on the street in front of him, not daring to look behind and see the mess that he created. He knew that he had created possibly the biggest uproar the city has ever had to deal with in a long time. The police screamed at him from behind, their dogs barking madly as they followed his trail.

He cut another corner, unexpectedly crashing into a set of garbage cans and knocking them over. Jack stumbled over and fell into a sea of bags, making a loudest sound that anyone could ever of the bags ripped under his feet, releasing some of the most awful stenches. Swearing under his breath, he dragged himself out of the mess and took off again, nearly tripping over garbage bags that were now scattered about. He tried his best not to breath through his nose, now smelling like a rotting corpse. Despite all that, however, Jack was silently grateful that no one was there to witness that.

Skidding across the slick pavement from the rain, he detoured into a narrow alleyway. a concrete hard surface greeted him in the face, and found himself in a dead end. He was hoping there'd be a wired fence he could at least climb, but of course he was barricaded by solid brick walls.

"Great." he growled. "Just my luck."

The alarming snarl of a dog made Jack jolt around, greeted by fangs snapping wildly at him. He toppled backwards from surprise, the dog taking the opportunity and leaping up on top of him and trying to tear up his face. He tried frantically to kick the dog off, but it dodged his blow and bit furiously into Jack's arm instead. It took all of his will not to cry out in pain, knowing it would alert the cops of his location. Instead, he bit his lip and used his free arm to dig in his pocket for a blade.

Jack frantically hurried, his vision already beginning to grow weary from the loss of blood. Once finding it, he curtly nicked the dog's nose enough for it to yelp out in pain and scamper off.

Fear-stricken and now injured, he anxiously glanced around for any other possible escapes. Luckily, he caught a glimpse of a gap behind one of the corner shops, noticing a small fence tucked squarely between the two buildings and leading out of the city. Relief flooded him, thanking whatever God that was being unreasonably good to him. Without question, he took a running start and leaped over it.

Landing on the ground with a small thud, he scraped through the thin space between the two walls. Gunshots rang out towards his direction, motivating Jack to push himself to run even faster. His legs were numb at this point, both from the freezing rain and the running that he had endured. The only thing that kept him going was the notion that if he ever stopped, he would be a goner. It wasn't until the sound of bullets and sirens faded is when he stopped worrying.

Once out of the city, he darted into an entrance of a park, passing by a basketball court and play set. He knew he was close to a residential area, finding himself sprinting on trimmed grass rather than paved cement. He quickly turned into a small neighborhood, gazing at the small houses that sat quietly in the night. He paused, heading over into a house's shrubbery and crouching to where he wouldn't be seen.

The low buzz of cicadas and crickets was a pleasant change for Jack, the stillness of the night soothing his nerves. He listened attentively, waiting for the sound of dogs or policemen yelling frantically to show up any second. He then noticed far off there was the glare of flashing red and blue lights; a cop car passing by behind the houses. Finally he heard the loud sirens go by, slowly dying away and replaced by crickets once again.

The tension in Jack's back gradually disappeared, his entire body relaxing. He felt at peace for once, all except his arm, but he would take care of that later. He backed himself into a fence post, sliding down on it and enjoying the cool, damp air against his skin. He smirked to himself, hugging the wool sack in his jacket.

"Jackson Overland does it again." he murmured in a hoarse voice, tilting his head up at the night sky and enjoying his small victory until the cicadas lulled him to a sound sleep.

* * *

"And I expect those documents to be filled out and filed by tomorrow, Toothiana. I'm trusting you with this since I know you are both a stead fast and hard worker, so don't disappoint me." Mr. Crookshaw handed Tooth the folder, a small but noticeable smile on his face. Tooth took it in her hands, hugging it to her chest with an eager look to her. She was nearly bouncing out of her shoes, the excitement coursing through her body.

"Thank you sir, I'll get started straight away." she squeaked, unable to hide the grin that grew on her face. She tucked the folder into her book-bag, and hurriedly headed to go get her jacket and keys.

"I'd hope for you to keep up the good work here Toothiana, it's very rare for workers to be as ecstatic as you to take on jobs like this." he commented lightly, raising a suggestive brow at her. "Any reason for that?"

She tugged her arm through one of the cardigan's sleeves, giving him a sheepish smile. "I enjoy looking through criminal's file work just fine, Mr. Crookshaw, but I would enjoy working on the stories even more. Writing is one of my strongest points, and it would be so great to tell the world of my findings. I'm just hoping to prove that I can take on the project." she had a determined tone to her, having a restless glow to her eyes.

Mr. Crookshaw let out a small chuckle, his corner of his eyes crinkling from grinning so wide . "You sure do speak like a writer, Fairie. Young people usually don't have as much gusto as I see in you." he paused for a second, seeming to be engrossed in thought. "Tell you what, I'll give you a shot at it."

Toothiana stopped, mouth nearly dropping open. The keys nearly slipped out her hands, seeming to lose nearly all sense of her body.

"You...you will?" she murmured, her lips barely moving.

He nodded reassuringly, "Find me a story that will make it to the headlines, and the job is yours." folding his hands neatly, the tone of his voice grew more solemn. "I'm giving you this opportunity because you are one of my few employees who I know will take a it seriously, so I expect you to do exactly that. I want something that will have the press selling like hotcakes. Are we clear?"

Tooth still was trying to grasp what she was just told, a beaming smile gradually growing on her face. She took a few larger breathes, laughing almost at her self at the sudden luck that had struck her.

"Y-Yes! Thank you Mr. Crookshaw, you won't regret it!" she bounded over to his desk, wrapping her petite arms around his large build. He seemed to be taken by surprise, but soon accepted the hug and returned the embrace.

Tooth scampered over to get her hat, and then gave him one last look of gratitude. Mr. Crookshaw nodded, silently acknowledging the look of thanks. Tooth then headed out the door, a new light seeming to glow in her eyes.

* * *

Tooth wasn't the biggest fan of walking home as late as it was, with the only thing to guide her being the streetlights and the flashing signs of local markets. The stillness of the air and unusual quietness besides passing cars was something she didn't like. She felt vulnerable to the dark, thinking that anything could happen if she wasn't careful.

She turned the corner where her neighborhood resided, walking down the rows and rows of small houses. Most had their lights turned off already, notifying her it was later than she had expected. She was glad that she didn't have to walk home any farther than most people her age. It was a blessing that she lived so close to the office, especially in a cozy community like this.

Part of her was concerned, knowing she had more work than ever before. Tooth was used to being given more work than other by her boss, and she almost always completed it on time. She didn't really have any problem with staying up, but there was also the possibility of falling asleep at work if she stayed up too late. Perhaps she would take a day off, and fax the papers over to Mr. Crookshaw.

Finally reaching her house, she pulled out the keys unlock the door and get inside. Tooth unlocked the door and was about to step in, but a shadow in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She was about to pass it off as the trickery of the night, but something tugged at her telling her that it something more. She looked closer, confirming that there was, for sure, something in her yard.

Tooth was hesitant to approach it, but she knew she couldn't ignore the dark figure. If she allowed it to stay where it was, she knew she would be allowing herself to some sort of threat. Perhaps it was a stray dog lying down, or just a garbage bag stuck on a branch, but she couldn't be too sure. Her heart rate quickened, fearing for the worst of possibilities. She quickly dialed the police into her phone, ready to press CALL at any moment.

"Now or never." she sighed. She slowly tip-toed to the shadow, making sure to be absolutely silent in order not to disturb it. He free hand was clenched and raised, ready to fend off any sort of attack. Finally, her eyes adjusting to the dark, she saw what looked like a boy resting against the fencing.

He looked as though he was unconscious, or at least sleeping. His head was dripping wet from the what she guess was the earlier rain, and he smelled terribly of garbage and body odor. Dirt was smeared across his pale face, cuts and bruising down his jaw and neck.

"Some sort of runaway..?" She crouched down to where he was and inspected him, seeing if there was anything unusual. Brushing off his hood, the moon shined down on his snowy white hair, glittering from the light.

She lifted his jacket slowly, and jerked her hand back to find it soaked in blood. It clung firmly to his clothes, mixed in with mud and some trash. She tried brushing off some of the dirt on him, but it only made him fuss in his sleep.

The boy stirred, but luckily just shifted himself and dozed back to dreamland. When altering his position, Tooth caught sight of his exposed arm, the jacket's material being torn apart and revealing skin.

"He's been hurt…," she murmured, "A stabbing, maybe?" she grazed her fingers over the coat, and felt something, a bulge, awkwardly jutting out of him. Tooth raised the jacket more to get a closer look at the injury, but something tumbled out of the it before she could.

"A sack?"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: It's nice to see a whole crowd of you enjoyed my first chapter! Thank you all for the favorites and reviews, it means a lot to me. :)

-BTM

* * *

The overwhelming smell of buttered toast and hash-browns made Jack stir in his sleep, the wafting aroma teasing both his nose and stomach. The mere scent of it drove all his senses crazy, begging him to leave the bed. He let out a loud groan, nearly tasting the heavenly breakfast in his mouth.

But breakfast wasn't the only thing that woke Jack. Early morning daylight shined brightly on his eyes, prodding them to open up and see the new day. He rejected it's offer, however, and jolted his head the other direction. He scrunched his own eyes close, trying to block out the sun's rays and continue to sleep peacefully. He couldn't bring himself to get up so soon; the warm quilt and fluffed pillows were too alluring to say no to.

Wait, what?

Jack bolted up, realizing that his usual settings has shifted dramatically. His eyelids fluttered open, revealing a new and unfamiliar living space. Instead of the dank, prickly grass that he was used to, a feather-soft mattress and cozy sheets laid underneath him instead. Fences or alleyways were replaced with a soft aqua walls and bookshelves, with windows on either side.

It was a cozy little room, probably belonging to what Jack would guess to be a small child. The bay windows were wide open, letting in the warm sunlight that came with a gentle breeze. The curtains that were draped down beside the windows matched the carpeted floor, a dark burgundy red that reminded Jack of fine wine.

He found himself lying in a small cottage bed, his legs dangling over the edge of the mattress. the quilt on top only seemed to cover him up to his knees, and the bed itself was only about 2 feet across, leaving only a bit of room for himself to lie squarely in the center of. Obviously the bed was made for someone who was a smaller size than Jack.

"The couch would have been fine." he noted bitterly.

He sat up, wanting to stretch at get rid of the tiredly ache in his body. He reached his arms in the air, noticing how one wasn't covered in slobber and blood anymore. To his surprise, it was bandaged neatly with gauze fabric, secured together with a pin.

He stepped out of the bed, the soft carpeting being a pleasant change. It's woolly texture was somewhat therapeutic to his blistered and scarred feet. He looked down at himself, wiggling his toes against the floor. He noticed how his worn, ripped jeans were missing, replaced by fuzzy pajama bottoms instead. His jacket and flannel were also gone, a rather large T-shirt that hung loosely around his neck taking it's place.

Wait, the jacket was gone?

The sack was gone.

Oh shit.

He quickly hopped out of the bed, making a beeline for the door and nearly getting rug burn on his feet from skidding so much. Once opening it, he hurriedly shuffled through the hallway, trying his best to muffle the sound of footsteps. Jack knew well that it was best to be quiet, but he needed to get his things STAT.

Once coming into the main entrance, he stopped when he heard the faint sound of his voice. Jack pressed himself against the wall, waiting for the sound to come into the clear. His ear pricked, noticing it was a girl's hum. Silently, he poked his head from the hallway to get a better look at who he was dealing with.

Just as he expected, a girl hummed happily as she walked back and forth in the kitchen. Her hair was a charcoal black with e ends dyed an array of colors, going from a teal to jade green. Her eyes seemed to almost smile, glittering with an unusual yet brightening magenta color that contoured well with her copper skin. She was attractive, Jack had to admit, but who exactly was she to him?

* * *

The timer let out a melodic ring, notifying Tooth that her the biscuits were completely baked. She looked up from her reading, taking in the warm glazed essence of her pastries. Tooth got up from the couch and went over to where inviting smell emitted from. She opened the oven door, the heat and scent making a smile curl on her lips.

"Probably the best I've ever made." she noted softly, sliding on the her oven mitts to take out the pastries. "I'm just hoping he'll enjoy them, just to make him feel at home." she took out the tray and set it out to cool, closing the oven door behind her. Tooth stopped and put her hands at her side, admiring her work.

"Oh, don't worry about that, I never had a home in the first place."

The voice made Tooth jump with shock, letting out a squeak of surprise as she tripped over her own heel. She desperately tried to save herself from completely toppling onto the stove-top, reaching for whatever she could to stop the fall. Luckily, she caught herself on the oven handle, grabbing onto it before she making a fool of herself.

After collecting herself, she turned to see who exactly had frightened her.

It was the guy from the night before, looking more well rested and clean. His blizzard white hair was disheveled from sleep, fanned out across his forehead. His eyes seemed to almost droop, bags hanging under otherwise brilliantly blue eyes. His skin seemed to almost lack pigment, squeamishly pale except for the freckles that were faintly scattered over his cheeks. If Tooth didn't know better, she would have guessed he had risen from the dead.

"I see you're awake." she huffed, pushing her strands of hair that were falling out of her bun. She laughed a bit, brushing off her apron and cracking a weak smile towards him. "Um, I made breakfast."

Tooth couldn't sense even a hint of amusement from him, only cold and bitterness. She felt shivers shoot down her spine, feeling as though she was in the same room with some sort of zombie.

"My clothes." he demanded bleakly.

"Ah.., they're being dried at the moment, but they'll be out any minute." He kept his silent glower onto Tooth, letting out a low grunt before grabbing a plate and plopping down at the dining table. She watched him stab his eggs rather viciously, twisting the fork to scoop up as much as he could, before biting into it.

"I guess you're not a morning person, are you?' she remarked quietly, grabbing a biscuit of her own and heading over to the table. The boy shot her another look, as if he was challenging her to say something else.

She ignored his glares, pulling out a seat of her own. Tooth knew he was just being hostile since he wasn't used to the house. From what she could guess, he probably wasn't used to be being indoors in general. Before she had him bathed, dirt and blood was caked into his clothing and skin. She couldn't help but laugh a little to herself. He was like a stray animal that had finally found a new home.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, just remembered a joke." Tooth cleared her throat, "Is your arm feeling alright? The gash was really deep, there's probably going to be some scarring"

Jack's chewing slowed, glancing at his arm. He didn't exactly get a good look at the condition before she had bandaged him up, but it must have been pretty bad. He might have bled out too much if it weren't for her.

"It...it's alright." he murmured.

"What happened?"

He furrowed his brows, trying to remember what exactly had happened the other night. The only memories he could conjure up with the agonizing pain in his body and the bullets that he narrowly dodged. It had all been such a blur, he had a hard time deducing what exactly was reality and what was not. How exactly had he gotten it again?

"D-dog bite." he finally stated, his eyes now fixed onto his arm. The gleaming white teeth of the dog's fangs and the feeling of flesh being ripped of him was now fresh in his mind. He felt himself wince at the reminiscence of it.

Tooth caught the wince, seeing the fear fill his eyes. Jack had a new, troubled look to him now that almost seemed to worry her. "Ah, well then I'm hoping it'll heal soon enough." Tooth quietly replied.

Jack bit his lip, a more solemn look on his face. He used his free arm to rub behind his neck, feeling it get warm with embarrassment. He was quiet himself, uncertain of what to say next to the girl. He knew well that he was now obligated to thank her, since she did go through a lot of trouble for him.

"Um." Tooth looked up at him, seeing him wriggle in his seat. "Thanks...for...for everything I guess." he began. She caught her breath, surprised to hear a sudden change of tone from Jack. "I mean, that dog bite would have probably took a toll on me, so thanks."

She took a moment to realize that he was being sincere, the tinge of pink in his cheeks and way he avoid eye contact was a dead giveaway. Tooth smiled a bit herself, glad that she had broken down at least one of the walls between them. The cold, bitter environment around them had now somewhat melted, replaced by what she could only guess was just an awkward feeling.

"I think you're clothes are dried, I'll go and fetch them." Tooth offered. She got up and excused herself, leaving Jack alone with his thoughts.

* * *

"Sheesh, are these the only pair of pants he has?" Tooth made a sour face at the torn jeans that were damaged beyond repair. Even after being put through both washer and dryer, it was obvious there was no help for them. "I think I might go clothe shopping for the poor guy."

She began to fold the pants to prepare for Jack, but felt something jagged poke out of one of the pockets. Curiously, she dug inside and pulled out what looked like the handle to a knife. She flicked it, and sure enough, a sharp blade came with the leather handle.

He carried a knife with him too? Perhaps he got into fights a lot?

"What exactly is with this guy?" she sighed, and placed the knife right next to the burlap sack on the drawer top.

She felt her phone vibrate in the back of her pocket, and flipped it out quickly. Checking the Caller ID, she nearly dropped the device when seeing it be Mr. Crookshaw. Hastily, she pressed ANSWER and put the phone to her ear.

"Y-Yes?"

"Toothiana, sorry to bother you on your day off like this, hope you don't mind." Mr. Crookshaw didn't sound the least bit of displeased with Tooth, which was relieving. She took a silent huff of comfort before quickly replying.

"Of course not, sir. What do you need?"

"Well, I actually don't need anything from you exactly. See, I was doing some late night paperwork when I got a call. The local station says that some people spotted a suspicious individual running in your neighborhood, and there was a robbery earlier before the sightings. We have some investigators that are going to see if they can pick up on anything, but police are stating that the criminal might be carrying a weapon. When I heard the news, well, I couldn't help but worry about you. So on that note, be safe tonight and keep a lookout."

She nodded firmly before responding. "Thank you, sir. I'll promise to keep an eye out." Tooth then hung up, and grabbed the last of the clothes to bring over to the boy.


	3. Chapter 3

I haven't updated in a while...hehe.

It's a long story, but I'm back. Don't worry. Shhh.

-BTM

When Tooth returned with the clothes, she had a troubled look on her face that pricked Jack's attention. Her eyebrows were knitted together and her lips were now pursed, eyes seeming to be in another place, with her mind in another world. She absently handed Jack his clothing, not saying anything to him, which he found odd.

"What's up with you?"

She only let out a faint huff in response, facing the window and crossing her arms. There was a gentle silence between the two as Tooth ran over her own thoughts, watching the leaves outside her own window.

"Apparently there's been sightings around here of a man who is a possible criminal. He's armed and is hiding out somewhere in the neighborhood" she began, her voice sober. Her eyes flickered over to him, "Glad I took you in, huh? Could've gotten yourself into more trouble, no doubt." she offered a small, slanted smile.

Jack felt the food he was digesting take a sudden sharp turn in his stomach.

She didn't wait for an answer from him, turning back to the window and her thoughts. She gave a slight nibble to her lips, closing her eyes and combing her a hand through her hair.

"Ahh...this is so troublesome..really. The last thing I need right now is to be worrying about my own safety. I'm too busy trying to-."

Toothiana let out a short gasp of realization, eyes snapping open.

"A story! If I'm able to catch this criminal by myself and maybe get an interview, it could make a headline story! Surely Crookshaw will have to promote me then, how could he even resist?" She clasped her hands together in excitement, turning back to Jack with a nearly stupid grin plastered on her face.

"Think about it, getting an exclusive look into the mind of one of Burgess's criminals, inside the thoughts and the nitty gritty details and-," she released a sound that was a good mix between a squeal and a laugh from the back of her throat, dancing on her tippy-toes from excitement.

Jack felt incredibly awkward watching her, and somewhat confused. This girl was really set on hunting down a criminal, just for some sort of promotion? She hadn't a clue what he was even like, he could be deranged or blood-thirsty!

_Or sitting right in front of her the entire time._

He clicked his teeth in annoyance. "You gotta be either stupid or crazy." he said flatly. "You think a wanted man, a criminal even, is just going to plop down on a sofa with you and sip tea, talking about his _feelings_? You know anything about the world, girlie?" a small smirk played across his face, quirking a brow at her.

And to his surprise, the grin on her face curved into a cunning smile, tilting her head and tapping a single finger on her temple. "I know more about the world than you know about me, little boy."

When she said that, her eyes seemed to almost glisten. Jack couldn't help but notice how the natural light caught them, her brilliant violet irises having a nearly kaleidoscope effect to them in the sun.

"Now if you don't mind me, I need to do some research on my new suspect. You go shower and change." before Jack could protest, she turned on her heel and began to walk the other direction.

* * *

Jack slowly lathered himself with the baby body wash she had given him, the only alternative she had on hand that hadn't had a 'girly as shit' scent to it. He watched the bubbles slowly gather and quickly slide down his skin as the shower pelted onto his back. Ice cold, just how he liked it.

As he ran shampoo through his hair, he couldn't help but take a moment to realize the situation he was in.

He wanted to consider himself trapped, like a bird in a cage. A hostage, perhaps, or a prisoner of war. Something that would justify why his mission had been slowed down. He was taken into a foreign home by a girl who he wasn't sure to consider an enemy or just a waste of time, slowing him down with breakfast and pretty eyes.

No matter, he just had to make a new objective. Get rid of the girl, get the sack, get out.

He let the shampoo rinse out before completely submerging his hair in conditioner. He liked to overly condition his hair to get a smooth texture.

Though murder wasn't something he was keen to put on his agenda, he knew well that taking someone out was only necessary if they could be a vitally huge problem to your entire plan.

He made the mistake of wiping his eye thoughtless, suds from the shampoo still on his palm. There was an immediate throb of pain, the tingling throwing him off guard. The burn made him let out a short hiss, raising his face to the water and feverishly rubbing his eye, cursing quietly.

Was she a threat? From what Jack saw, she was only a ditzy little person, who just happened to chase after criminals for a living, and make a mean biscuit with eggs. A girl who had a liking for colors (anyone could notice that), and too much energy.

Who was she?

No, it didn't matter. He needed to figure out how to get out of here, that was the only thing he would let himself focus on at this point.

Finally, he twisted the nozzle and shut the water completely off, standing quietly and letting the remaining drops cascade off his hair and down his cheeks.

Whoever she was, he would have to do something about her. She had connections to the news, and possibly the police force and basically anyone that was after him. She was dangerous, only hiding behind vibrant hair and giggles.

He stepped out and briskly dried himself off before wrapping the towel around his waist. He sighed, turning around and stopping when he saw himself in the mirror.

A pale, lanky frame, splattered with very faint freckles on the shoulders and down the back. His skin was milky but also sickly, having an green tint to it rather than the usual milky look. His ribs were almost protruding, not too bad, but he knew it wasn't good either.

As for his face? He didn't even want to bother. He knew it would just be the same chapped lips, dark eyes and almost constant qualmish look he carried with him. If this mirror wasn't the property of another, he would've completely shattered the thing without a second thought.

Having enough, he was about to walk away but something caught his attention. From the back of his head he noticed a new feature to him.

He looked over and noticed that tracing the back of his arm, there was a black trail of stitches going from the mid-bicep all the way down to lower forearm. It was a neat and simple stitch, and Jack couldn't help but graze his hands over it.

She had done this.

He stared at the wound for a bit, running through his mind how much has happened in the past hours. Passing out, soaked in his own blood and sweat, dirty and couldn't help but feel a tightness in chest.

Being fed, clothed, washed and healed was something Jack was accustomed to. He believed that when reaching a certain age, every person should fend for themselves and that it was a dog eat dog world. At least, that's how he lived most of his life.

And now, looking at this scar, cleaned and treated instead of healing with infection and sickly scabbing like the rest of his wounds had healed, there was a twinge of emotion that pulled at his heart.

He quickly shut it out and left the bathroom, knowing too well the consequences, just like before.


End file.
